The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-18
IN HONOR OF SHAKESPEARE.
A FESTIVE DAY AT TIE OLD HOME OF
THE card OF AT0E

THE card OF AvoM
strstfsra Receives the Feuntsin Presented
By Mr.. Childs-speeehes By Henry irving
ana Mr.. Phelps, and . Pses ~ Ho,ues.
oyrssM 1887 BY rHf sur PRINTING and psbtsAino
Assoctanou
STRATFoRD-oN-AvoN, Oct. 17.-Thls little
old place. visited by every American who
travels. and known to every other American as
the place where Shakespeare was born, lived,
died. and is buried, has put OF for this one day
its atmosphere OF pure romance and revels In
an unusually commonplace festivity. Gay
flags, Of which many are starred and striped.
hang from the windows OF the funny little
houses, and odd country people, with queerly
embroidered holiday smocks and very broad
shoulders and accents. have come In and fill
the streets and inns. 1t Is just past noon and
there has been great celebration tending to
gloriiy George Washington Childs Of Philadel-
phia, the American eagle, the Mayor Of Strait
ford Henry Irving, Queen Victoria. Minister
Phelps and also, to o slight extent, William
shakespeare. The excuse for the festivity has
been tho dedication OF tho jubilee memorial
fountain given by Mr.. Childs to Stratford. The
least interesting thing was the fountain. It
Is Of gray stone. rather sauatty. and strongly
suggesting in Its architectural build the buxom
country women who. many rows deep. gazed
upon It In transports OF the purest admiration.
On the four corners two American eagles and
two British lions display by their naughty bear
ing and painful attitudes how little real COM
fort they find In each others company. and be-
low, ON four tablets, are two appropriate quo
tations frem Shakespeare. graceful praise Of
that great citizen Of Stratford by Washington
Irving, and some prose about Mr.. Childs. tho
liberal donor.
~ 0ro< lc,o hr
tain rising from a bed Of freshly strewn gravel
In the public square was not pleasant. No
amount Of respect for Mr.. Childs's good quail
ties could reconcile one to the sight OF 90 az
gressive monument to his liberality In place
which belongs to great genius. and which is
not meant to crafty the vanity. however inno-
cent, Of COMMONPLACE philanthropy. There
are no verses upon 1t BY the donor. which is
tho best that can be said Of the structure that
IL to mar probably for many years the pic
turesaueness Of the place.
Tho Mayor Of Stratford. who managed the
ceremony, was as grand and interesting as the
monument was the contrary. He was big and
broad. all Of his skin one color. beautiful red
humorous in his way. but without an idea Of
the fact, and beyond all doubt with much more
accurate knowledge Of the virtues of crusty
port than Of the verses OF Shakespeare. Robes
and tassels danRled around his legs, and q
hugo gold chain with q golden medallion Of
Shakespeare adorned his broad chest Only
rural England can produce the like. and Ameri-
cans who come here should not fail to see
Mayor sir Arthur Hodgson. K. G., NJ. g.. &C.. &c.
With rare judgment he let Shakespeare Sc
verely alone. and devoted himself to praise Of
the living. He praised Mr.. Ohilds. Irving, Lord
Delaware. monument Of Hoble responsibility
who stood beside him; James Russell Lowell.
vvho waa mt thara hut had aaut lattar tal
how fond Of each other the Americans and
Engliah are: his brother Lord Mayors. who
had como with their gold chains from many
little towns about, but could not compare with
him for gorgeousness; tho nobility and gentry
Of the country, who were very plentiful, and
even the MACS Of people who struggled against
. nle OF soldiers and did the cheering. E.
Mr. Irving. looking very pale and fine. with
long wavy grayish- black hair. climbed into one
OF the basins Of the monument and read some
Of poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes. whose
name he pronounced in way which was pecu-
lisrly grand. Then he made dedicative
speech on his own hook. which was good, and
which no doubt was pleasing to Shakespeare,
coming from an actor who knows so well how
to give to his works worthy rendering. Irving
was popular and was cheered tremendously.
Hs praised the Queen and Mr.. Ohilds. Of
course. and there was suggestion to carry
him around In triumph when he got down
from the fountain. He objected. and tho band
played God Save the Queen" Then it played
"Hail Columbia" and most OF the Englishmen
thought It was Yankee Doodle" and politely
took on their hats. They think our souls are
wrapped mp in Yankee Doodle" Mr.. Irving
turned on the water. which came out all right.
and the ceremony was over.
There were some Americans from London
present. and they were interested when the
Mayor told. with fearful emotion. how Mr..
Childs In his numerous letters. had testified to
his deep loyalty to Queen Victoria. During
the next hour the crowd rushed about seeing
tho tomb and the other sights that every self
respecting Individual has seen Or read about
Tho curious fact is that many living right In
Btratford. moved to q sudden interest in their
great fellow citizen, visited the relics of Shake
spesre for the first time. An old. gray gentle
man. who was very wise about Shakespeare.
took Mr. Irving through Shakespeere's house.
He was very earnest, and especially 80 over
seal ring which had been found with W. 8. on
It. and especially so as there had been no W. 8.
in Stratford. except William Shaw, who had no
signet RING. Mr.. Irving limited that 1t might
have been Smith. but no ono saw the joke.
Speeches are going on now. and telegram
Of congratulation from tho Queen to the Mayor
has arrived and nothing is lacking to make
that gentleman happy. There has been not
the slishtest mention Of Ignatius Donnelly
End th:ss Il nc s p sSn st ssSep.
its prosperity to belief In the genuineness of
ts great patron.
D. Tie Atsociaied Press
In the course OF his letter Mr.. Lowell said:
Tho monument which you accept to-day in
behalf OF your townsmen eommemorates at
the jubilee year OF the august lady whose name
L. honQred wherever the language Is spoken of |
which he was the greatest master. No symbol |
could more aptly serve this double purpose
than fountain. for surely no poet ever poured |
forth 30 broad Q river Of speech as he, whether |
he was the author Of the "Novum Organum"
In old maps the line which outlined British |
possessions In America included the greater |
part OF what is now territory Of the United |
States. Tho possessions Of the American in !
holds them In memory and Imagination by |
title such as no conquest ever established and |
no revolution can ever overthrow. The dust |
that T. sacred to you 10 sacred to him; The
annals which Shakespeare makes walk before |
~ In flesh and blood are his no less than yours.
Those are the ties which we recognize and are |
o. nd IN ,lxa naatA 3 nhAxt